Articles in this newsletter:
Managing conflict begins with managing the problem employee
Every organization has one or two. They are the employees who can't seem to get along with co-workers, come late to every event, grouse and complain about every management decision, and spread gloom and doom to other workers like a virus.
While most people find a way to ignore or tolerate these workers, there are times when they can't be ignored. When left unchecked, problem employees can create serious problems that could lead to a hostile work environment and damage employee morale and productivity. For that reason, every manager should know how to handle these problem workers before they create an untenable work environment.
"One of the major issues in today's workplace is how to effectively deal with conflict and dealing with the problem employee is a big part of that solution," said Amy Murphy, director of Corporate and Community Services for Joliet Junior College. "Most managers are concerned with how they should respond. They don't want to over-react or under-react to the situation."
According to Dr. David Javitch, there are five steps to dealing with difficult employees. Javitch is an organizational psychologist and president of Javitch Associates. In an article for Entrepreneur.com, he advises readers not to ignore the problem staffer because it could jeopardize the success of the entire organization.
"These difficult people harass you and others," writes Javitch, "ask too many self-explanatory questions, neglect details, distract you and repeatedly challenge you and others. Naturally, no one wants to work with difficult people. When dealing with problematic employees, productivity decreases, frustrations rise, morale goes down and customers and vendors get upset."
One of the management training programs offered by Joliet Junior College teaches workers and managers how to deal with conflict management. It is geared toward helping both workers and supervisors deal with potential conflicts which can often arise from problem employees. "Conflict resolution is that much more difficult when one of the parties is a problem worker," said Murphy. "That individual is often reluctant to admit to any responsibility for the problem and, unfortunately, unwilling to compromise."
Javitch has five suggestions include the following:
- Don't ignore the problem. Ignoring the problem can make it worse. It is the wrong solution and could lead to a progressive problem.
- Intervene as soon as possible. Take action immediately – as soon as the negative behavior pattern becomes evident. Waiting can escalate the problem because the employee may believe he or she is behaving appropriately and continue the bad behavior.
- Research the problem personally. It keeps the discussion on a professional level when the manager presents facts that he or she knows personally. Additionally, a manager needs all the facts handy when confronting an employee about bad behavior. It is important to ask if the employee is aware that his or her behavior is causing a problem before presenting a clear set of examples of the unwanted behavior.
- Help the problem employee get back on track. Once the problem employee understands that his or her behavior is affecting others in a negative way, he or she may be able to take the next step and find a solution. This is a point where the manager may begin to coach the employee and provide assistance. It is critical, however, to give the employee an opportunity to find a solution on their own. Only if they are unable to come up with corrective answer should the manager make suggestions. Of course, the employee needs to agree to implement them.
- If all else fails, termination may be necessary. If the bad behavior continues, or the employee denies his or her inappropriate behavior, Dr. Javitch advises managers to "place this person on the fast track towards termination." He recommends that the employee be given a period to address the behavior problem. If there is no improvement, the employee should be terminated.
"Most employees will recognize the negative behavior and will at least attempt to turn it around," writes Javitch, "This is especially true during tough economic times when unemployment is high and finding a new job is difficult. In any case, the manager needs to follow company guidelines in recognizing the unacceptable behavior, providing direct feedback, providing input to try to turn it around and ultimately taking action in a timely manner. Not doing so is a disservice to the problematic employee, other employees and the success of the organization."
"I would also suggest bringing the Human Resources department into it as soon as possible," said Murphy. "A manager needs to be on solid ground when dealing with issues like this and the HR department will ensure that the manager operates within corporate guidelines and state labor laws."
Why do they behave that way?
There are many reasons problem employees behave the way they do. F. John Reh writing for About.com says that, "Difficult employees are that way simply because it is a behavior that has worked for them in the past. They may not know any other behavior or they may choose this behavior when they think it will be most effective. You will be successful in dealing with difficult employees only to the extent that you can make these undesirable behaviors no longer effective for them. In many ways, it's like dealing with children."
Managers who employ people with difficult and uncooperative personalities in the workplace will have to find creative and effective ways to correct the problem. "Many of these employees can change their behavior enough to be much more effective on the job," said Murphy. "In some cases, they actually become one of the best employees on staff. It can happen and a good manager makes every effort to give the employee the opportunity to change. That's why our course on conflict resolution is so popular with major corporations such as Clearwater."
For information about programs in conflict resolution, management, and other human resource courses offered at Joliet Junior College, call Amy Murphy at (815) 280-1418, or e-mail amurphy@jjc.edu.
Nearly 200 Entrepreneurs Attend Google 101
On October 20 and 21, nearly 200 people attended the Google 101 seminar hosted by Joliet Junior College. The three-hour course presented an overview of the Google approach to marketing and advertising and was delivered by certified Google expert Anastasia Holdren.
"The response to this course was very encouraging," said Carol Turney, business analyst for JJC's Illinois Small Business Development Center. "It means that entrepreneurs are optimistic and eager to master the new media of Internet marketing. That's a good sign."
The Google 101 seminar was sponsored by the Illinois Small Business Development Center which selected Joliet Junior College as one of three community colleges in Illinois to host these courses.
"We were happy to host this event because of the potential help it offers entrepreneurs," said Amy Murphy, director of Corporate and Community Services for JJC. "We had people enroll from as far away as Indiana and downstate Illinois. The optimism of the small business owner is contagious and should give Illinois hope for the future."
The seminar covered the basics of the Google AdWords advertising system. Participants learned about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and how to use keywords in their advertising. They also learned the basics of setting up a Google Adwords account and how to manage it effectively.
"The instructor for this course was a real expert," said Murphy. "She answered everyone's questions, whether technical or business oriented, honestly and satisfactorily."
Because of the success of this course and the demand for more training, Joliet Junior College will be offering a more extensive set of courses on February 21 and 22, 2011. These two eight-hour days of training will cover every aspect of the Google AdWords system.
AdWords 101 covers Google advertising from setting up an account, to finding keywords, to writing effective ads that targets a specific audience.
The second day is AdWords 201 and covers such areas as geo-targeting, demographic bidding, ROI, keyword optimization, and self-diagnosis. This course is intended for those who either participated in AdWords 101, or have extensive knowledge of the Google advertising system.
Participants can enroll in either class, or in both. If they sign up for both, they will get a $100 AdWords advertising credit.
To learn more about the Google AdWords 101 and 201 seminars, call (815) 280-1400, or e-mail sbdc@jjc.edu.
Traffic School Saves a Life
Perhaps it was Divine Providence that caused the Reverend Phillip Arnold to remember the driver safety lessons he learned at the exact moment he would need them.
After 15 years of avoiding it, the Indiana native got a traffic ticket earlier this year. Originally, he was going to simply pay the fine and be done with it, but his wife convinced him to attend the Will County Traffic School's Driver Safety program which would not only satisfy his ticket obligation, but also teach him something about Illinois traffic laws. "It was kind of a double-hitter," said Arnold who attended the class at Joliet Junior College on October 25.
The instructor that day was Jeff Hanford, a veteran driver's safety teacher and a retired Illinois State Police officer. "I always tell the students to 'neutralize' any threats with your actions," said Hanford. "Take your foot off the accelerator and cover the brake. This helps save lives."
Arnold remembered that advice on a night in late October when strong winds of up to 70 mph blew through Will County. He was driving his S-10 pick-up truck down Route 102, a dark and heavily wooded highway.
"I noticed some lights around a curve in the road," said Arnold. "Based on the class, I learned to constantly scan for potential hazards. If you see something suspicious, take your foot off the gas and cover the brake."
Arnold saw a semi-trailer truck stopped in the middle of the road with a large tree on top of it. The truck's headlights glared into Arnold's eyes preventing him from seeing the driver who suddenly ran toward him to warn him of the hazard. When Arnold saw the driver, he knew he would have to do something to avoid hitting him. "I learned from the instructor to swerve to the right to avoid a collision – not left – which is not natural for me," said Arnold.
Arnold swerved to the right and went off the road. He hit the trunk of the fallen tree and totaled his pick-up. According to the State Police officer who investigated the accident, he hit the tree at about 30 mph. That reduced speed saved his life.
"If I hadn't had this class, I would have turned around that curve at about 10 mph faster than the speed limit," said Arnold who knew how lucky he was. While he was in the cab of his truck, he did a lot of thinking. He thought about what is important to him and how lucky he was. It made him thank God for the traffic ticket he got and the driving instruction he received in Traffic School. "I called the JJC Traffic School the next day to thank the teacher," said Arnold.
Hanford has three major tips for maximum driver safety. They are:
- Scan the road ahead and look for hazards
- Drive to the right side to avoid problems – not to the left because that will put you into oncoming traffic
- Wear seat belts
Until his driver's safety class, Arnold hadn't been doing any of these things. But, somehow, Hanford got through to him. "You never know if you're getting through to people," he said, "but if you can help one person, everything is worthwhile."
For information about driver safety classes at Joliet Junior College's Will County Traffic School, call Amy Murphy at (815) 280-1418, or e-mail amurphy@jjc.edu.